Wednesday's Daily Pulse

What you need to know about Florida today

| 10/9/2013

Lengthy shutdown threatens key parts of Florida economy

With the federal government shutdown grinding into its ninth day, different parts of the country are feeling the effects with varying levels of pain. Florida's seniors, students and homebuyers are at significant risk of being hurt by a prolonged partial shutdown of the federal government, according to an analysis released Tuesday. Read more from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Forbes

As disease takes toll on citrus, more Florida farmers turning to olives

For the past eight years, citrus greening disease has wreaked havoc to the tune of billions of dollars in financial loss on the Sunshine State's citrus market. In that time, Florida farming has taken an interest in olives.

Even as Florida’s housing market is showing solid recovery with impressive gains in prices and sales volume, the state led the nation in foreclosures completed in the year ended in August; no other state was even close, according to CoreLogic. [Source: Miami Herald]

State on pace for 100 million visitors

Backed by record state funding and spending on marketing, Florida might top 100 million visitors this year. The growth in visitors would mean a boost to jobs and Florida's economy, the state's top tourism official said. Now it is up to the governor and state lawmakers to decide if the higher numbers are worthwhile as a new budget process gets underway. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

State wants more insurers to write flood policies

State officials are trying to bring more private insurance companies into the state with the hopes that they would write flood insurance, freeing Floridians from steep rate increases that recently took effect in the National Flood Insurance Program. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Times/Herald.

› To replace aging mainframe, state will shut down benefits system [Orlando Sentinel] As part of its plan to upgrade its aging unemployment computer system, the state will shut down the existing system for several days beginning Wednesday at noon. The claims system will be down until Tuesday, Oct. 15, when the new network, called CONNECT, goes live.

› Senate committee approves 'Stand Your Ground' fixes[South Florida Sun-Sentinel] Lawmakers advanced changes to Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law Tuesday in the wake of the George Zimmerman trial and a summer of protests after his acquittal in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.